The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-01-08

tend, you'll just drop me word TO the
Fifth Avenue Hotel to this yer ads
Dress" and he pulled from his pocket
= dozen wetl~worn letters, and taking
the bufi envelope from one, handed 1t
to her with something like u bow.
"Certainiy," broke in the facetious
Walltord. "Miss Morrell goes to the
charity ball tomorrow night. The
tickets are but trifle to an opulent
Californian and Il man of your evident
means, and the object Is worthy one.
You eau, no doubt, easily secure an in-
vitatfon."
Miss Morrell raised her handsome
eyes moment. "By all means," she
said, turning to tho man from San
Jose, Haud as Mr.. Wailford is one OF
the managers, and you stranger, he
will, OF course, send you complt-
mentary ticket. have known Mr..
Wallford long enough to know that he
| Is invariably courteous to strangers,
aud q gentleman" She settled her.
self in her chair and fixed her eyes on
the stage.
The man from San Jose thanked the
man from New York, aud then, after
shaking hands with everybody in the
box, turned to 60. When he reached
the door he looked back to Miss Nor,
rell and said:
s'It was one of the querest things in
the world, miss, that tind'n' them
checks"
But the curtain had just risen and
Miss Morrell was absorbed. The man
from San Jose carefully shut the door
and retired. l followed him.
| He was silent until he reached the
lobby, anu then he said, rs renewing
the conversation ashes a mighty pert
gal-that's so. She's Just my stripe,
and will make stavin' good wife,"
l thought saw danger ahead, so l
fastened to tell him that she could
have her pick and choice from the best
society, and was most probably en-.
gagged to Wallford.
"Thats so," he said, quietly, wit h.
out the slightest trace Of feeling; "it
would be mighty queer If she wasn't
But ! reckon I'll steer down to the no.
tel. I don't care much for this yellin'."
He was abiding to cadenza by one
the most famous prima donnas OF the
day.1 "What's the timer"
He pulled out his watch. 1t was such
q giaring sham, SO obviously bogus,
that my eyes were fascinated by 1t.
"You're lo0kin' at that watch" he
said. "It's purity to look ut, but she
don't 60 worth a cent, aud yet her
price was 1926. I gobbled her up In
Chatham street day before yesterday,
where they were selling them very
cheap at auction"
watch and chain arc not worth $50"
said Indignantly.
care they worth $l5 ~ he asked
gravely.
"Possibiy."
see told them 1 was a Californian
from San Jose, and hadn't anything
about me Of greenbacks. l had three
slugs with me. Ye remember them
slugs?"
I did; tho "slug" was "token"
issued in early days-a hexagonal piece
Of gold little over double the size Of q
$40 gold ptece-worth aud accepted for
s5O.]
"Well, handed them that and they
handed me the watch. You see, them
slugs made myself outer brass filings
and iron pyrites, and used to slay 'em
down for a bluff on tho boys in game
of draw poker. You see, not bein' req
lar gov'ment money, wasn't counter.
feitin'. I recon they cost me, countin
time and anxiety, about $l5, so If his
watch Is worth that it's about square
game, amt II :"
i / began to understand the man from
San Jose and said 1t was. He returned
his watch to his pocket, toyed play
fully with the chain, and remarked
"Kinder makes a man look fash'nnble
don't IT :''
/ agreed with him. "But what dt
you intend TO do herc?" ! asked.
"WciI, I've got cash capital O
nigh onto 800. 1 guess until git into
reg'Iar business I'll skirmish round
Wall street and sorter lay low" We
shook hands and parted.
A few days after / met him or
Broadway; he had another new suit
and only five distinct cotors were visi
BILE. But this, ] had occasion to believe
was accidental.
/ asked him II he lad been to tht
ball. He said he had. "That gai-anc
a mighty pert gal she was, too-was
there, but she sorter fought shy of me
got this new suit to go in, but those
. walters sorter run me into a private
box, and didn't get much chance tt
continue our talk about them checks
But that young feller Waiiford was
mighty perlite. He brought lots of fel
lers and young women round TO thu
box to see me, and he made up q party